María Beatriz Beltrán

Background

Bachelor’s degree in Educational Psychology from the Universidad de Occidente, Mazatlán campus (Mexico). Master’s and Doctorate in Behavioural Sciences (Neuroscience specialisation) at the Institute of Neurosciences of the Universidad de Guadalajara (Mexico).

I am currently a full-time Associate Research Professor “C”, attached to the Neuroscience Care Unit of the Department of Neurosciences, at the University Center for Health Sciences of the Universidad de Guadalajara (Mexico).

I am part of the core faculty of the Doctorate in Cognition and Learning (CUCSH), the Master’s in Human Nutrition, Maternal and Child Orientation (CUCS), and the Master’s in Neuropsychology (CUCS), all at the Universidad de Guadalajara and belonging to the National Programme of Quality Graduate Programmes of the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACyT).

I am also a member of the National System of Researchers of CONACyT.

Since the beginning of my academic career, I have been committed to building and consolidating my own independent research line based on the effect of epigenetic factors (age, sex, parents’ educational level, nutrition, early adversity: prenatal maltreatment, postnatal maltreatment, e.g., neglect, physical and sexual abuse) on neuropsychological development, in order to clarify the contribution of risk and protective factors to child development, and to apply the findings to the creation and implementation of prevention and intervention programmes in community settings. To this end, I have developed, contributed to and taken part in original projects that strengthen collaborations with national and international researchers, for example through the supervision and co-supervision of undergraduate and graduate theses, the Academic Group in Formation UDG-CA-1023, and the International Group on Metacognition, which brings together researchers from 17 universities in the USA and Ibero-America.

Academic activity

2021

• Reviewer for various journals belonging to the MDPI publisher.
• Reviewer for Applied Neuropsychology: Child.
• Member of the Tutorial Committee of the Master’s in Behavioural Sciences of Mildred Hickie, “Análisis del BRIEF-P en población infantil mexicana”. Institute of Neurosciences, CUCBA, UdeG.
• Member of the Tutorial Committee of the Doctorate in Psychological Research of Paola Ortiz, “Relación entre la Severidad de los Síntomas, los Prerrequisitos de la Comunicación Social y la Respuesta Neurofisiológica en niños con Diagnóstico de TEA”. ITESO.
• Examiner in the Master’s degree examination in Neuropsychology and Education of Graciela Montes, Universidad Panamericana, Gdl campus.
• Reviewer for Revista Iberoamericana de Diagnóstico y Evaluación.

2020

• Reviewer for Revista Electrónica de Investigación Educativa.
• Thesis advisor for the Master’s in Behavioural Sciences of Javier Parra Pulido, “Efecto de la prematurez tardía sobre los precursores de habilidades matemáticas en preescolares”. Institute of Neurosciences, CUCBA, UdeG.

2019

• Award: At the Annual Neuroscience Meeting in July 2019, we presented an analysis of the Reproduction of the Angles of Geometric Figures by children aged 2–5 years in poster format and won first place in that category.
• Award: At the Annual Neuroscience Meeting in July 2019, we presented the Structure of Executive Functions in Mexican Children in poster format and won first place in that category.
• Examiner in the Master’s degree examination in Behavioural Sciences of Paola Ortiz, “Efecto de diferentes tipos de distractores sobre la atención selectiva en niños diagnosticados con Trastorno del Espectro Autista”. Thesis director, Mtro. Sergio Meneses. Institute of Neurosciences, CUCBA, UdeG.
• Evaluator at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente, to assess the proposed academic programme “Neurodesarrollo y Estimulación Temprana” as a possible course in the area of postgraduate diplomas.
• Examiner for the Master’s degree in Neuropsychology and Education of Sofía Rodríguez Buenrostro, Universidad Panamericana, Gdl campus.

2017–2019

• Thesis advisor for the Master’s in Behavioural Sciences of Luis Miguel Cortés Costilla, “Características neuropsicológicas de niños institucionalizados en México de 36 a 71 meses de edad”. Thesis director, Dr Esmeralda Matute. Institute of Neurosciences, CUCBA, UdeG.

2018

• Evaluator in the Selection Process of students for the First Cohort of the Doctoral Programme in Cognition and Learning, CUCSH, UdeG.
• Reviewer of five works submitted for presentation in the Language, Communication panel of the 2019 Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting (21–23 March 2019, Baltimore, USA).
• Examiner in the Master’s degree examination in Behavioural Sciences of Sarahi Sánchez Mejía, with the project “Nivel de desarrollo de niños de 6 a 34 meses con maltrato fetal y maltrato posnatal residentes de un orfanato mexicano”. Thesis director, Dr Araceli Sanz Martín. Institute of Neurosciences, CUCBA, UdeG.

2017

• Reviewer for Revista CES Psicología.
• Reviewer for Revista Acta Colombiana de Psicología.
• PRODEP financial support for new full-time faculty (UDG-PTC-1217) for my project “Cambios Ligados a la Edad y el Sexo en el Desarrollo Neuropsicológico de la Población Infantil Mexicana”.
• Google Scholar: https://shortest.link/20v4